Prewitt, Ellis And Wells Share Season's Spotlight

Orange sports - All-county football teams

High school football coaches are always in search of the ''perfect player.'' For many, that player would be an extremely hard worker, and someone with excellent skills and size.

''Being a great talent and a great body is a combination that usually doesn't come around too often,'' Dr. Phillips coach Ken Edenfield said.

This year, Dr. Phillips had the delight of having two such defensive players: outside linebackers Kennard Ellis (6-4, 220 pounds) and Rodney Wells (6-2, 205).

''(Defensive) Coach (Charles) Anthony said the thing that was so pleasing with Kennard and Rodney is you always have these kids who are great workers, but you wish they were in these great bodies,'' Edenfield said. ''Or you have those kids with great size and they're not the hardest workers.

''They both were the exception. In the weight room, sprints this summer, practice. . . . They were the hardest workers. Everybody knew it. They also had to work hard in the classroom to get where they are. We're going to miss them.''

Opponents won't.

Manhandling opponents and highlighting Central Florida's most dominating defense earned the seniors the Sentinel's Orange County co-Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Ellis was known as the team's ''Sam'' linebacker, and often lined up on the tight end's side of the ball. Wells was called the ''Will'' linebacker, and predominantly lined up on the open side of the ball.

Wherever the players were, they menaced quarterbacks and ballcarriers all season long, sparking a Panthers defense that averaged a measly 134.3 yards and 6.8 points per game

Ellis was fourth on the team in tackles with 85, and Wells was fifth with 83. The good friends shared the team lead in sacks with six.

''A lot of times you hear that a team has a great (defensive) player, but they just run to the other side,'' Edenfield said. ''They couldn't do that with us because they were on both sides of the ball. And they were just as good running you down as taking you head on.''

Ellis, who's been offered grant-in-aids by such schools as Florida State, Florida, Syracuse, Tennessee and Georgia, said he'll remember one thing about the Dr. Phillips defense: ''how we all ran to the ball.''

''If you took a play off, and you're not there, somebody else was,'' Ellis said. ''If you didn't get there first, it's all over. . . .

''On Friday nights, everything just came together like it was meant to be. On Fridays, when the (school) bell rung at sixth period, you just got this feeling. I love it. It's like payday. You're working at a job all week and it's time you get paid.''

When Wells wasn't crushing opposing ballcarriers, he did a decent job as one of the team's backup running backs. For instance, in the team's 24-6 victory against Edgewater in Game 2, Wells, who has excellent speed and instincts, almost single-handedly won the game with a pair of rushing touchdowns from 34 and 3-yards.

''He could've been a really good running back,'' Edenfield said. ''He helped us out a lot early in the season when (fullback) J.B. Wilt was out. He'd block, run the ball, anything you ask. But we try to put our best players on defense and special teams.''

And defense was certainly Ellis and Wells' forte.

Impressively, Ellis has turned out to be one of the top Division I prospects in the state despite just two years of football experience.

''He's a quick learner,'' said Wells, who's been offered grant-in-aids by such schools as Syracuse, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. ''He already had the body size and speed to be a great player. All he had to do was learn his assignments and be in the right place at the right time.''

For Wells, being in the right place at the right time seemed to be second nature.

''Rodney is a better instinctive player,'' Edenfield said. ''He did a phenomenal job in knowing what the other team's going to run. I don't remember him missing a boot leg in two years - whether it was naked or you pulled the guard.''

Though Ellis is considered the bigger college prospect of the two because of his size, Wells is committed to be a college success, himself.

Wells contributes much of his drive to his mother, who died of cancer when he was in the ninth grade. At the time, ''football didn't mean too much,'' Wells said. ''I was more of a basketball wannabe.''

Now, football is a ticket to college.

''She meant everything,'' said Wells, who lives with his grandmother. ''I want to get a college degree. I don't want to go too far, but I want to play.''